05-05-2025
The Indo Daily: 'Ireland's Alcatraz' — The colourful history of Spike Island
Spike Island's rich history extends as far back as 635 AD when Saint Mochuda set up a monastery on the island, which lasted for 500 years. It was a time when Ireland was famous for its manuscripts and known as a world centre for crafts.
The island went on to play a key role as a fortress for the British, who invested heavily in Cork Harbour as a line of defence against the French. This investment into the island was one of the most expensive construction projects in Irish history.
Spike Island is still Britain and Ireland's largest-ever prison and was used as a prison facility up until 2004. A popular tourist attraction since 2016, Spike Island now is a far cry from its dark past, which included the1985 prison riots and the housing of Ireland's most well-known criminals such as Martin Cahill and James Grey, also known as 'Jack in the Box'.
Today on the Indo Daily Ellen Coyne is joined by John Crotty, former general Manager of Spike Island and author of Spike Island: The Rebels, Residents and Crafty Criminals of Ireland's Historic Island, to discuss the island's colourful past and the potential histories yet to be unfurled.
